Astronomy

What is fuzzy, round, & orange?

The image at right shows Saturn's moon Titan. The image was taken in January 2008 by the Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn.

Titan's fuzzy, orange appearance is due to its smoggy atmosphere of nitrogen. Titan's thick atmosphere makes it unique among moons in our Solar System.

Excited about learning more? Consider studying Astronomy, one of five disciplines in the Physical Science Department at Mesa Community College.

Both the Southern & Dobson and the Red Mountain campuses offer astronomy courses. Our astronomy courses are designed for non-science majors or someone who wants to expand their knowledge of the Universe around them.

See our list of course descriptions for information on the course contents, transferability to Arizona universities, and prerequisites.

Our instructors work hard to make astronomy approachable and exciting! Please see our list of faculty & staff for more information about them.

The new Physical Science building at the Southern & Dobson campus includes a state-of-the-art Planetarium. This 52-seat facility is unique to the East Valley and is open to MCC students and to the public.

And check out our page of resources for links to the websites of spacecraft, observatories, and astronomy-related places in Arizona.

Mesa Community College provides outstanding transfer and career and technical programs, workforce development, and life-long learning opportunities to residents of the East Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona.